


Switching Exhaustion

by SkylerSkyhigh



Series: Nightmare's Gang [4]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Comfort, Exhausted Nightmare, Fainting, Fluff, Injured Nightmare, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-26
Updated: 2017-12-26
Packaged: 2019-02-21 23:30:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,151
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13154307
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SkylerSkyhigh/pseuds/SkylerSkyhigh
Summary: Nightmare gets in a fight with Inky and his brother. He returns home exhausted and stumbles into Killer and Horror.Sometimes the leader needs a small break.





	Switching Exhaustion

**Author's Note:**

> TotalApathy requested Nightmare about to fall over from exhaustion and this is the best I could do. The sin with Cross is taking longer than I thought so here's a small read in the meantime.

In a dusty au, Nightmare grunted when Ink got a hit on him. A splash of pink burned his inky body making a big hole where his shoulder was. He growled at the colourful skeleton and readied his tendrils. But when he felt a magical presence behind him, he used his tendrils to block a blue arrow instead. He glared at his brother Dream who shot the arrow in the first place. 

"Give it up Nightmare! You can't win this fight!" Inky yelled at him, his paint brush held firmly in his hands as he glared at the dark skeleton. 

Nightmare chuckled lowly. "Oh you wish it was that easy."

Inky looked at him confused before black tendrils formed around him and seized his limbs making him drop his paint brush. 

"Ink!" Dream called and used his staff to send out yellow orbs at Nightmare who dodged every single one. 

Inky struggled from Nightmare's grip on him, reaching for his paint brush. Dream attacked his brother mercilessly, trying to reach Ink to save him. Nightmare dodged and attacked with his black tentacles. 

Suddenly Inky grabbed hold of his brush and swiped it at the tentacles, vaporizing them instantly. 

"What?!" Nightmare hollered, blocking another attack from Dream. 

Inky twirled his brush and got into a battle stance. "This ends now Nightmare!" 

Inky charged at Nightmare the same time as Dream. 

~~~

Back in Nightmare's hangout, Horror sat in the living room with a plate of red velvet cake in his hands while watching a compliation of idiots harming themselves by doing stunts and failing. Occasionally it features broken bones. His kind of show. It was certainly better than watching MTT reruns. 

Killer walked in from his bedroom and spots Horror on the couch. He walked over to the bloody skeleton. 

"Hey Horror, what are you watching?" Killer asked whole leaning over from behind the couch. 

"Science of Stupid." Horror answered before taking a bite of cake.

"And what's it about?"

"It explains how these idiots fail at stupid stunts. It won't stop them from being stupid but at least it gives you an answer of why it's stupid."

"Huh, sound like my kind of show." Killer said with a grin and jumped over the couch and into the seat next to Horror. Said skeleton scooted over to make room for the latter. 

Both skeletons watched the show in silence for a while before a dark portal opened up. They turned to see Nightmare stumbling through and tensed up. Nightmare looked battered and beaten up. Despite his dark inky form, both skeletons could see bruises and cuts. The cuts were bleeding black ink, some dripping onto the floor much to Killer's irritation- he just cleaned them.

Nightmare turned and looked at the two skeletons on the couch and straightened up before steeling his voice of any waves. "Boys, you're...here."

"Yeah? Like we always are?" Killer asked slowly, looking at his boss with concern. 

"What happened?" Horror asked looking over Nightmare. 

Said skeleton hid his exhaustion from the others. The battle with Inky and his brother had taken a toll on him, magically,mentally and physically. But he couldn't afford to show it in front of his gang. As a leader, he shouldn't show any weakness. While it enforces his rule, it also ensures that his followers would always trust him or lean on him like a pillar. Where would Dust be if Nightmare wasn't there to help him? Or Killer? Or even the rest of the dark Sanses. If making sure his gang will look up to him for support then he'll cope with whatever pain he's thrown at. 

"Inky and Dream thought it'd be nice to jump me while I was busy destroying an au." Nightmare huffed with an eye roll. "It was an undeveloped copy so I don't see a problem with it. Besides taking up space in the multiverse."

Nightmare took a step forward before stumbling a bit with a wave of dizziness. 

"Okay...um are you alright boss?" Killer asked with concern. 

"I'm...fine..." Nightmare grunted at first then his words trailed off before falling, blacking out before he hit the floor. Horror teleported in front of Nightmare just in time to catch him before he fell face first onto the floor. Horror lifted a passed out Nightmare up and looked at Killer with panicked concern. 

Killer understood the look and helped him pull Nightmare up and carried him to his room. Both skeletons carried Nightmare to his bedroom and put him on the bed. Killer removed Nightmare's jacket to access his wounds. 

"Go grab the healing gel from his drawer desk." Killer commanded. 

"Would it even work on Nightmare's...inky...body?" Horror pointed a finger at the other's black goop like body with each word. 

"I don't know but we have to try."

Horror nodded and went to Nightmare's desk to retrieve the jar of healing gel. While searching he spots a picture frame on the desk. A picture they all took when they dusted an au together. He couldn't believe Nightmare has this in his room considering how cold and emotionless he is. Could...could everyone be wrong about him being emotionless? Because if he's emotionless then how come he has something that feels so personal in his room instead of a weapon or a trophy?

Horror didn't think much of it when his hand found the gel. He picked it up and ran to Killer's side and handed him the jar. Killer took it and began to apply the gel onto Nightmare's wounds. So far it seems to be working when some of the more minor bruises faded a bit. 

Horror put a hand to Nightmare's forehead feeling his temperature. 

"He's sick? Can Nightmare get sick?" Killer asked when he saw Horror's action. 

The bloodied skeleton shook his skull in denial and removed his hand. "No. Probably just exhausted."

Killer hummed and continue to apply more gel. "Well I can't blame him. Taking on both Inky and Dream at the same time must take a lot out of someone."

"Yeah." Horror nodded in agreement and watched Killer work. 

After about half an hour, Killer had finished applying the gel to every bruise and cut on Nightmare's body. He then left the gel on the bedside table and pulled the sheets over Nightmare. 

"That should do it." He said and backed away. 

"Good. I hope he gets better soon." Horror said while looking over Nightmare. 

"Yeah. Come on, let's let him rest." Killer said and gently lead Horror by his arm to the door. Horror followed without a word and as soon as they left, they closed the door gently, leaving Nightmare to rest in peace. 

Sometimes the leader needs rest after a long day. The gang is happy to help take care of him if he needs it. It's good to switch once and a while.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you like this! Give any suggestions for this series!


End file.
